Somewhere between gymnastics and martial arts is Parkour, a challenging, physical discipline requiring speed, body control, and flexibility. In this essential lesson for Parkour and freerunning novices, review two essential skills: warm ups and landings. If you want to start practicing Parkour and freerunning safely as a beginner, this lesson is a great place to start.
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One fundamental movement of both Parkour and Freerunning is the Vault. The Vault is a basic maneuver that you can use to safely hurdle over obstacles, including low walls, railings and fences. If you are looking for a movement that will allow you to navigate the landscape while maintaining your forward momentum, this is it! In this fun and quick lesson, you learn how to do the Speed, Reverse and Monkey Vaults.
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Ready to learn how to do a side flip? In this lesson, teacher Christopher Tung uses stop-action footage to show you exactly how to take off and jump higher. You'll see how to position your arms to generate torque when spinning, control your tuck, and spot the ground for a smooth landing. With some practice, you'll be able to add this trick to your free running and parkour moves!
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Parkour is a free-style method of exercise and exploration, in which an individual propels him- or herself through a urban landscape using only their surroundings and their own body—it requires agility and good form in order to prevent injury. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a parkour cat grab. Andy starts by outlining baby steps to get started with, as well as the often-injurious mistakes that people often make, before demonstrating a perfect cat grab.
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Both a “punch” and a “plyo” are two-footed jumps in the sport of parkour. But a plyo is not a punch. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a plyometric jump, safely. Andy demonstrates how to step into a plyo (instead of hopping or hurdling into it) for a quiet landing on the balls of your feet, as well as how to swing your arms forward into your jump for momentum. Finally, he illustrates common mistakes that people make and shows what a well-executed plyo should look like.
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Some people like sports, some people like reading books. What do you like? In this lesson from Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids, follow along with Eli, Andy, Parker as they talk about their hobbies in Spanish. With the help of fun graphics and examples, you’ll learn how to talk about a few of your own favorite things and pick up a few new words and phrases along the way! Perfect for kids (and kids at heart)!
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Well aware of your cinematic genius, your talented musician friends have asked you to create an artistic and thought provoking visual counterpart to one of their songs. Naturally, you want this music video to demonstrate your unparalleled creativity and skill—so you decide to shoot their music video in one take! This type of production requires plenty of planning and practice, but learn how to do it, and the end result will have everyone marveling at your abilities and wondering how you did it.
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Learn how to build the main piano chords—major, minor, diminished, and augmented—that form the basis of harmony. The second in a series of seven, this lesson will teach you how to recognize and play bright and dark interval patterns to achieve musical chords that are frequently used in both the harmony and melody of songs. Once you have learned these patterns, you are well on your way to mastering any chord you encounter in piano music!
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Think that all you need is a good camera and a good bit of know-how in order to take great pictures? While that might be true, a tripod is a tool that can help improve your photography skills—and not just for portraits. In this photography lesson, Julie Waterhouse offers two reasons why you should use a tripod the next time you are out shooting.
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Installing Mountain Lion OS X needn't be as hard as wrestling a real mountain lion! This lesson from Mac and Computer Help gives you step-by-step instructions on updating your Mac's operating system. Learn how to check if your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion, and see a list of hardware requirements. See where and how to buy the system, complete the installation, and set up iCloud. You’ll be using great new features in no time!
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You've set up Twitter, Facebook, blog, and Pinterest accounts for your business... so why is nothing happening? In this lesson from Lyra Communications, learn how long social media marketing takes to kick in, and why. While advertising results in a sudden spike then fall in interest, social media builds interest gradually over time, particularly for start-ups. Get estimates on how long it will take to see an impact, and find out why social media is worth the investment despite the wait.
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Missing your play dough days? Try the grown-up version: clay sculpting! The third in a series of four, this lesson teaches you to condition your clay using a roller and your hands so that it won't dry out or crack. Once it’s ready, learn to cut your clay safely with a blade, and then blend different clays and inclusions (such as glitter) to create the perfect shade for your art project.
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Become a twinkle-toes... literally! This lesson from Boat People teaches you to brighten up a pair of old thrift store shoes by adding sparkle to the toes. This fun and easy project uses just glitter, mod podge, a brush, and some masking tape. Tape off the end of the shoe, brush on some mod podge, and apply the glitter. For added glamour, swap out the laces for a shiny ribbon!
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As the saying goes, you can't know where you are going without knowing where you’ve been. Preserve the past while making it accessible in an online scrapbook that can be printed at your convenience. In this lesson Amy Ulen of Studio Scrapping teaches you how to use Photoshop Elements to create titles for your scrapbook pages (Amy creates her scrapbook using Studio J, but the Photoshop principles she teaches can be applied to any project). Scrapbooking was never faster, easier, or so beautiful.
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Do you love Greek mythology and the art of ancient Greece? Learn about a mythic monster from the Classical World, the original femme-fatale, the Gorgon Medusa. Through Greek sculpture, painting and poetry, this lesson explores Medusa’s lineage, background, and tragic curse. In this lesson, Lucas Livingston, a historian at the Art Institute of Chicago, discusses the possible origins of this haunting myth. As Lucas tells the tale of Medusa, he will also cover the Clash of the Titans, Perseus, Poseidon, and Athena.
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Have you mastered the double crochet and slip stitch? Are your friends and family always complimenting your handmade crochet scarves and accessories? If you want to start selling your crochet for profit, this is the course for you! You’ll learn how to create a business plan to make your dream into a reality. Begin by thinking about your audience, inventory, pricing, and advertising strategy.
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Now that your granite countertop has been cut and polished, learn how to score and cut out the circular sink and faucet holes. In this third and final installment of the series from Paul’s Toolbox, learn how to finish creating your own custom granite countertop, as well as how to avoid costly and unsightly errors frequently made while cutting curved lines. Once your holes are cut and resealed, simply drop in in your sink and faucet, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
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Are you hosting a barbeque this summer, and want to impress your carnivorous neighbours? Grill the perfect steak! Begin by marinating your meat with this simple recipe. Then, learn to light your barbecue with just the right amount of charcoal and newspaper - and cap your grill to adjust the flame’s heat. Discover the fine points of placing, rotating, and flipping your steak, and see how to tell when your steak is cooked through. Make sure to let the juices cook the meat once it's off the coals!
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Share a photo of your perfectly grilled steak!
Drawing can be difficult and intimidating if you weren’t born with the hand of an artist, but like every other skill, it can be learned through exercise and repetition. In this lesson from Drawing Teachers, Michael teaches about 3D elements such as the vanishing point and horizon line while showing you step-by-step how to draw a 3D house. For this exercise, you’ll need a paper, ruler, pencil, and pen. Once you master this lesson, you’ll be able to draw any boxy design in 3D.
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Your favorite jeans may be expensive, or maybe they just fit perfectly. But just because a hole appears in your favorite Levis or Lucky’s doesn’t mean that you need to retire them. Extend the life of your jeans (and save some cash while you are at it) by learning how to repair them. All you need is a thick piece of cloth, scissors, straight pins, thread and the zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. They may not last forever, but your favorite jeans just got a new lease on life.
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Take a picture to show off your new sewing skills! Don't have a pair of jeans to repair? Try using a scrap piece of fabric instead!
Whether you use your machine for gaming, video and photo editing, or animation, maximize your resources by using a computer suited specifically to your needs. In this first of four videos from his series on how to build a computer, Carey Holzeman demonstrates that it’s really not that complicated. Get started by figuring out what hardware you’ll need (if you’re stumped, Carey’s got some recommendations for you) and learn how to connect the power supply.
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Hitting a tennis ball may seem pretty straightforward, but there is more to the technique than meets the eye! In this lesson, learn the four ways not to hit a tennis ball, before learning the correct method: using a half grip on your racket while compressing and rolling a tennis ball away from you upon impact. When you are conscious of how your racket interacts with the ball, you will have more control over where the ball goes, and more control is always a good thing in tennis.
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Pesto is a versatile Italian sauce—traditionally used on pizzas or pasta, it makes an excellent spread on sandwiches, potatoes or even fish (Chef Pesto prefers his on salmon). While there are many other ways to incorporate this sauce into your food, pesto itself is easy and quick to make. Chef Pesto prepares a basic recipe that can be augmented to satisfy your flavor cravings. Simple enough for a child to make, but delicious enough for everyone, enjoy some fresh pesto with dinner tonight!
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If you are skilled at teaching and have knowledge that you want to share, learn how to educate others by making the best lesson possible! This lesson from Curious Teacher Support is designed to help you grasp the fundamentals of shooting a lesson, from how to light your filming environment (no matter where it is), to recording the highest quality audio possible, to how to frame your shots for maximum impact. We know you’ve got something to say, so say it well with a quality lesson.
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Want to store your stuff with style? Crafty Gemini teaches you how to stitch your very own quilted zipper pouch with boxy corners. All that you'll need is two kinds of fabric, batting, a lapel stick, a zipper, and a sewing machine. These bags are easy to make and perfect to use as pencil cases, make-up bags, travel dop kits, or what you will. This video offers handy tips for sewing zippers onto fabric using a zipper foot.
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